First Contact (episode)
Riker is injured while undercover during observation of a planet on the verge of warp travel and thus judged ready for first contact. Summary Teaser Riker is injured, and being treated at a hospital on a foreign planet. The doctors, while trying to assess Riker's injuries, notice various peculiarities in his physiology--the cardial organ in the wrong place, missing costal struts, and digits on his terminus. His face had been surgically altered to help him blend in, but not his entire body. Act One Riker is posing as Rivas Jakara, from the Marta community on the Southern continent. When he awakens, he explains that his abnormalities are genetic, and that his own physician, Dr. Crusher is familiar with them--but she's on sabbatical. The doctors and hospital officials are not convinced. They decide to keep it quiet until they thoroughly check out his claims, but with a guard posted at his door "29 hours a day". The Malcorians are on the verge of warp capabilities. Mirasta Yale, a scientist, presents her plans for a warp drive to Chancellor Avel Durken to get approval for funding, amid objections from the minister of security, Krola, who states that the people are frightened and confused by new technology. Ultimately, the Chancellor agrees to fund the warp drive programme. Picard and Troi beam into Mirasta's lab as she is working, startling her. After introducing themselves, they inform her that they have been monitoring her progress with warp drive and now feel it is appropriate to make first contact with the Malcorians. In response to her natural skepticism, Picard offers her proof. Mirasta accepts, and they beam her back to the ''Enterprise'' with them. Act Two Mirasta Yale walks into Ten Forward and begins to reminisce about her times in the planetarium when she was a nine-year-old. She wanted to know about other worlds and cultures. Captain Picard and Deanna Troi explain to Yale that they had been monitoring her planet for years, analyzing their popular culture, broadcast signals, and entertainment. Picard explains how the Federation also sends down observation teams to blend in with the culture. Picard then tells Yale that Riker is missing on the planet somewhere near the capital city. Yale agrees to do whatever she can to find him. Yale states that the Malcorians' culture holds the belief of being superior in the galaxy and that it may be difficult to change that belief. Yale asks Picard not to discuss the missing Riker in front of Chancellor Durken and Krola, for fear that Krola will use him as a scapegoat in calling the warp project as a great threat to their culture and race. Back in the hospital, there is quite a stir. Doctor Berel is annoyed over the attention, but the nurse says that it will be difficult to hold back the interest. Riker (Jakara) is being questioned in his room. Doctor Berel tells him that there is no Doctor Crusher on the planet. He accuses Riker of being a member of an alien species. Riker continues to deny the accusations; however, the doctor advises that he believes Riker is hiding something and that he cannot stay in hiding forever. Meanwhile, Chancellor Durken reluctantly receives Yale to his office with Troi and Picard following behind. Durken is shocked over what he sees, and Yale suggests that Durken clear his afternoon schedule. Act Three Chancellor Durken is given a tour of the Enterprise and are sent to the Bridge. Chancellor Durken and Yale both meet Commander Data as well, in awe of the android, a "constructed being" as Yale puts it. Data informs Yale that there is still no word from Commander Riker. In Captain Picard's ready room, Picard offers Durken wine from his brother's vineyard. Picard proposes a toast to the new friendship between the Federation and the Malcorians. Durken does not nearly trust Picard's overtures of friendship, and he perceives it as a prelude to attack from an interstellar conqueror. Durken asks what Picard will do if he says never to return from his planet. Picard says that they will not return. Picard explains the Prime Directive after Durken asks why the Federation would not offer their superior technology to his people. Picard says that it would be irresponsible and destructive. Durken agrees and goes back to his family on the planet, deciding to tell his children that he had a good day. Back in the hospital, Riker is attempting to escape where he encounters a nurse (Lanel) who tells him he cannot escape due to the guards outside. Lanel asks if Riker is an alien. When he says no, she does not believe him. Lanel offers to let Riker escape to his spaceship in space, but only if he would make love to her. Riker says no, but Lanel insists, eager to learn how humans make love. Lanel fulfills her part of the bargain, distracting a guard by saying she thinks Riker is dead. Lanel asks if she will ever see Riker again. Riker says he will call her when he's back on her planet. He runs into several people who stop his escape and begin to beat him. The beating exacerbates the injury to his renal organ and he begins bleeding internally. Doctor Berel, growing tired of the escalation in violence, instructs his staff to contact central security and to escort Riker back to his room for surgery. Act Four Krola, Yale, Chancellor Durken, and a member of their staff are having a meeting regarding what to do in regard to first contact with the Federation. Krola belives that Yale and Chancellor Durken are being naive and that the reforms Yale and Durken are making are destroying the Malcorian culture. After stating that Krola is overreacting and that Captain Picard has no intention of conquering the planet, Krola says that they do not have to since Durken and Yale are willing to give over their planet with open arms. In order to further drive home his point, Krola says that he has captured a spy--Commander Riker. Yale then explains how the captured man is Captain Picard's first officer, and that she instructed Picard not to discuss Riker with Durken. Durken then angrily demands all the information that Yale was keeping from him. Krola arrives at the Sikla Medical Facility to interrogate Commander Riker. Yale pleads to contact the Enterprise to help Riker. Krola asks Doctor Berel to revive Commander Riker using drugs that would increase his heart rate and vascular pressure, but Berel refuses (citing a corollary to the Hippocratic Oath, i.e., that he will "do no harm"). Krola then says that he will find someone else to revive him. Chancellor Durken confronts Captain Picard with Commander Riker's discovery on the planet when Picard arrives in Durken's office. Picard says that the surveillance was necessary to help prevent a violent confrontation with the Malcorians during first contact. He says that when Starfleet met with the Klingons, a violent encounter ensued. Picard had hoped that his crew would have found Commander Riker before the Malcorians did, because the Malcorians most likely would have reacted negatively to the Federation's arrival. Durken is pleased with the response because it showed that Picard makes mistakes. Durken informs Picard that he will make a decision later regarding Riker. Act Five Back in the medical facility, Krola relieves Berel as medical director and locates a doctor that agrees to revive Riker. Once Riker is revived, Krola asks to be left alone with him. Krola agrees to bring Riker's people to the hospital, but only after he answers his questions. Chancellor Durken is furious with Yale, stating that he would have asked for her resignation if it weren't for her vast expertise in space travel. Durken says that he would like Riker to be questioned, but Yale states that Riker's situation is extremely grave. Krola is interrogating Riker and asks why a race of peace would have such lethal weapons, while holding Riker's phaser. Riken explains that the phaser Krola holds is only for defense, but Krola does not agree. Krola says that he must force Durken to keep him from forging an accord with the Federation. Krola then places the phaser in Riker's hands and fires it into Krola's chest, hoping to die as a martyr. A doctor and aide enter the room think Riker has shot Krola and believe he is going to die. Doctor Crusher and Worf beam down and rescue Riker, who is near death. They also recue Krola. Picard, who is in Durken's office, says that he will meet Crusher on the Enterprise. Crusher says that Riker was stabilized and that they saved him just in time. Krola is fine as well, the phaser was only set on stun. In Captain Picard's ready room, Chancellor Durken declines Picard's offer for first contact to allow the Malcorians to educate themselves. Picard agrees, but regrets that he would not be able to learn more about the Malcorian society. Picard asks Durken how they will keep the story of alien contact under wraps. Durken says that even though thoughts of a government conspiracy will spread like wildfire, the stories will pass in time. As a final request, Yale requests that Picard take her with him. Picard agrees, and summons Worf to escort Chancellor Durken to the transporter room and Yale to quarters. Picard bids Durken a fond farewell, hoping that they will meet again to continue their friendship. Memorable Quotes "... will you help me get out of here?" "If you make love to me." "... What?" "I've always wanted to make love to an alien." ... "It's not that simple, there are differences in the way that my people make love." "I can't wait to learn." : - Riker (posing as Jakara) and Lanel, whom Riker is asking to help him escape from the hospital "... he is a living, intelligent being. I don't care if the chancellor himself calls down here. I have sworn an oath to do no harm, and I will not!" : - Berel, to Krola, who ordered the doctor to revive Riker for questioning, using drugs which might be fatal to Riker Background Information Marc Scott Zicree later wrote the story for the popular Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Far Beyond the Stars". Links and References Guest Stars *Bebe Neuwirth as Lanel *George Coe as Avel Durken *Carolyn Seymour as Mirasta Yale *Michael Ensign as Krola *George Hearn as Berel *Steven Anderson as Nilrem *Sachi Parker as Tava *Michael Braveheart as Martinez (uncredited) References adrulmine; artificial lifeform; aspiration drill; Betazed; cardial organ; Central Province; Central Security; Chancellor; Chateau Picard; cosmetic surgery; costal strut; del-scan series; digestive tract; Earth; First Contact; Garth system; grapes; ichor; Jakara, Rivas; Klingon Empire; light barrier; Lupo; Malcorian warp ship; Malcorians; Malcor III; Marta community; Minister of Security; octare; planetarium; Prime Directive; quadroline; Sikla Medical Facility; Southern continent of Malcor III; Space Bureau; telencephalon; toast; warp field generator; UFO; Vice Chancellor; weather balloon; wine; Category:TNG episodes de:Erster Kontakt es:First Contact nl:First Contact (aflevering)